Sheet piler



Marci: 13, 1934. J sMlTMANS I 1,951,178

SHEET FILER Filed March 11, 1933 2 Sheets-Sheet l NVENTOR J. A. SMITMANS SHEET FILER March 13, 1934.

Filed March 11, 1933 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR MWFM Patented Mar, 13, 1934 1,951,118 sis'r lPliLElt .llohn Al. Smitmans, Pittsburgh, Pa; assignor to United Engineering & Foundry Company, Pittsburgh, Pa, a corporation of Pennsylvania Application March ll, 1933, Serial No. 660,385 9 (Claims. (C11. 214-45) This invention pertains to sheet-piling and handling apparatus, and while not necessarily so limited relates more particularly to apparatus for stacking metal sheets into uniform'piles as gliiey are delivered from a' rolling mill or the The object of this invention generally stated is to provide an apparatus of this character which is capable of taking a series of sheets as they are delivered to it in succession and automatically stacking them one on top of the other in an accurate pile without in any way marking or injuring their surfaces.

Another object is to provide an apparatus of this character which is simple and sturdy of construction, relatively inexpensive to manufacture and operate, capable of being adjusted to handle sheets of varying sizes, and in which provision is made for utilizing the force of gravity for propelling the sheets and also the piles formed therefrom through the piler.

These and various other objects, as well as the various other novel features and advantages of the invention, will be apparent when the following detailed description is read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, of which Fig. 1 is a plan view of a sheet-piling and pilehandling apparatus constructed in accordance with the invention; Fig. 2 a side elevation of the apparatus shown in Fig. 1; and Fig. 3 a vertical section taken on the line III--III of Fi 1.

Referring in detail to the drawings, the embodiment of the invention illustrated comprises a base 1 which may be made in any suitable fashion, although shown as consisting of a pair of side girders 2 bound together by a pair of cross beams 3. In addition to forming a support for the piling apparatus proper; the base is utilized to support the sheets as they are being stacked, and to facilitate the removal of these stacks after they are formed the upper surface of the base is made up of a series of suitably mounted conveyor-forming rolls 4 which are preferably of the heavy duty ball bearing type. The base is also sloped toward its rear end so that the stacked sheets will move over the rolls due to the action of gravity when allowed to do so.

The sides of the piler consist of a pair of uniformly spaced side frames 5, the bases of which are made up of a pair of horizontally disposed channel members 6. On these there is mounted in spaced relation a series of uprights 7, the inner edges of which function as guides for lining up the edges of the sheets as they are dropped onto the pile as it is formed on the rolls 4. At the upper ends of'such uprights there is attached in spaced vertical relation a pair of angle sections 8 and 9 which run the length of the frames and bend the uprights together, being mounted with their flanges opposed to each other and projecting outwardly from the inner face of the frames.

Between the outwardly projecting flanges of 655 the angle sections 8 and 9 mounted at the top of the side frames 5 there is pivotally mounted in spaced relation a series of spindles 11 which are equipped at their inner ends with rollers 12 adapted to engage the lateral edges of a sheet 7o mounted on the piler and form a conveyor therefor. As shown, these spindles are so mounted that they may be rotated in a horizontal plane, and the sections 8 and 9 in ported are so spaced and the rollers 12 so sioned that the latter may be rotated into the sides of the frames to disengage a sheet mounted on them when it is desired to drop the sheet onto the rolls 4 which form the stack conveyor. This which they are sup-.

dimen- 76 eliminates any possibility of the surfaces of the so sheets being scratched or marked when they are released, which is particularly desirable in the handling of highly polished sheets. To automatically convey the sheets over the rollers 12, the conveyor formed by them is provided with the same slope as the lower conveyor formed by the rolls 4 so that a sheet mounted on them will be moved by the force of gravity, while to prevent any fouling of the sheets when they are released,

a series of guard plates 10 is mounted on the inner faces of the frames adjacent the front side of the roller-supported spindle 11, being flared outwardly at their rear edges to hold the sheets slightly away from the sides of the frames, and tapered into the edges so as not to catch the front ends of the sheets when they are fed onto the piler.

In order that the spindles 11 on which the rollers 12 are mounted may be operated in unison, those on each side frame are all pivotally connected to a common connecting rod 13 being provided with tail pieces 20 for this purpose. These connecting rods in turn are connected to a suitable motor for effecting their operation. In-the present instance a reciprocating engine 14, which may be operated by any suitable source of power supply, is mounted on the rearend of each side frame in alignment with each rod 13 for such purpose, the piston rods 15 thereof being sides of the frames at their front a linl; connection 16 which allows for the lateral displacement of the rods as the spindles are rotated. As shown, to operate both connecting rods 13 simultaneously, both engines may he connected by pipes 17 and 18 to a common source of pressure supply 19 through a single valve 21.

To provide for handling sheets of difierent widths, the side frames are mounted'for lateral adjustment. This is accomplished-as shown by mounting each frame on a pairof suitably spaced legs 22 and '23 which are in turn threadahly engaged in a pair of screw shafts 24 and 25 mounted in suitable bearings secured to the base 1. The threads at the opposite ends of these shafts are reversed so that both side frames are moved in opposite d'nections when the shafts are turned.

- 22a and 230., respectively, are provided on the legs ill 22 and 23, being extended over a goodly portion of the threads, and to facilitate the movement of the side frames when the screw shafts are turned, lugs 40 are provided on the bottom edges of these sleeves and arranged to be engaged by guides mounted on the cross beams 3 directly over which.

the shafts 24L and 25 are mounted.

For turning'the shafts 24 and 25, an electric motor 331 is connected to shaft 25 through a suitable gear unit 32, a brake 33 being attached to such motor for stopping it with accuracy when the frames 5 are in a selected position. For controlling this motor, a limit switch 34 is provided,

which is coupled to shaft 24 through a gear train 35 for actuation therewith. This switch is preferably one which may be set by an operator to stop the motor automatically when the side frames are in a preselected position. There are numerous switches of this character knownto the trade. Hence it is deemed unnecessary to illustrate and describe it in detail here.

For stopping avsheet as it is moved by gravity over the rollers 12 when it is in position for piling and for lining up the front end of the pile as well as preventing the pile from moving oif the lower conveyor until desiredan end gate 36 is provided. To render it adjustable this gate is mounted on a carriage 37, which is made up of a pair of side trucks 38 and wheels 39, the wheels being arranged to ride on tracks 41 mounted on the tops of the side frames 5. In these tracks there is provided a plurality of holes 42 in which pins 43 carried by the trucks 38 may be inserted to hold the gate in a' selected position, while to prevent the carriage from jumping the tracks," flanged guards 44 are mounted on the sides of the trucks to engage the under sides of the tracks 41.

Between the trucks 38 there is extended a pair of shafts 45 and as which are so mounted in bearings 47 on the trucks that they do not interfere with any adjustment of the side frames 5. From these shafts the end gate is suspended, being so mounted that it may be lifted to release and let a pile of sheets stacked on the lower conveyor roll out of the piler.

As shown, a frame 48 is mounted on the shafts 45 and 46 in the center of the carriage 37. In the lower front end of this frame a. shaft 49 is mounted, and onto it the end gate is attached. Directly above this shaft a lever 53. forg a part of a sleeve 52 is keyed to the shafted, while in the back of frame it opposite the gate-eupporting shaft' iil there is provided a second framesupported shaft 53. On this shaft there is attached a linlr 5% which is pivotally connected to the end gate below the shaft 49 by a second liniz 55 To the middle connection of these two links aconnecting link 5651s connected, which leattached to the crank or lever 51 keyed to shaft 45. Hence, when the lever 51 is lifted, the end gate is lifted, and to such lever a crank 57 is keyed to the outer end of shaft 45.

In order that the piler may be operated automatically, a switch 5% may be mounted on the front end of the carriage 3'? to he engaged hy the sheets as they are fed into the piler over the rollengages it as it is moved into position to be dropped onto the pile. According to the provisions of the patent sta utes, l have explained the principle and mode of 7 operation of my invention, and have illustrated and described what I now consider to represent its best embodiment. However, I desire to have it understood that, within the scope of the appended claims, the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically illustrated and described.

I claim:

1. A sheet piler comprising a pair of rigid ver-= tically disposed side frames mounted in spaced parallel relation, a plurality of conveyor-fora rollers mounted in alignment in said frames to engage the edges of a sheet when mounted thereon, pivotal means for connecting said rollers to said frames, and means for actuating said pivotally means to rotate said rollers in a substantially horizontal plane out of engagement with the edges of the sheet. I

2. A sheet piler comprising a pairof laterally adjustable conveyor-supporting and guide-forming side frames mounted in spaced parallel relation, a plurality of rollers mounted in arm. on spindles pivotally supported in said frames, said rollers being adapted to engage the edges of a sheet mounted thereon and to rotate on said spindles in a horizontal plane into the sides of said frames, and means for operating said spindle to rotate said rollers into said frames to thereby disengage a sheet mounted on them.

3. A sheet piler comprising a base inclu a gravity conveyor, a pair of side frames mounted on said base to engage the sides of a pile formed in the piler, a plurality of rollers mounted in inclined alignment in said frames to engage the edges of a sheet mounted thereon and convey it by gravity thereover, said rollers being mounted on spindles pivotally supported in said frame to allow their being rotated in a hdrizontal plane into the sides of the frames to drop a sheet engaged by them onto said gravity conveyor, and means for engaging the forward end of a sheet as it is fed onto the piler and the pile as it is being formed.

4. .A sheet piler comprising a gravity conveyor, 2. pair of rigid vertically disposed guide-forming side frames mounted in parallel above said conveyor, a plurality of rollers for engaging the edges of a sheet fed thereto retractably mounted in said frames, means for moving said edge rollers into the sidm of said side frames to drop a.

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sheet engaged by them onto said gravity conveyor, a carriage mounted to ride on the upper edge of said side frames, and a pivotally mounted end guide mounted in said carriage for stopping the movement of a sheet on the upper rollers and lining up the front end of the pile.

5. A sheet piler comprising a base support, a roller type gravity-operating pile conveyor mounted in said base, a pair of rigid vertcally disposed side frames mounted in parallel relation on said base, means for adjusting said frames to accommodate sheets of different widths, a series of rollers mounted in alignment along an inclined plane on spindles pivotally supported in said frames, said rollers being adapted to engage the edges of a sheet mounted thereon and to convey it by gravity across the piler, means for rotating said rollers from beneath the edges of a sheet to drop it onto the pile conveyor, an adjustable end gate for engaging the end of the sheets and lining up the front end of the pile supported in a carriage mounted for movement over the tops of said side frames, and means to operate said end gate to release a pile of sheets formed on said lower conveyor.

6. A sheet piler comprising a base support, a roll table mounted in said base for gravity operation, a pair of side frames mounted for lateral adjustment in said base, screw means for ad justing said frames, a motor for operating said screw means, means operated in response to said screw means for controlling said motor, a series of rollers mounted on spindles supported in each of said frames above said roll table for engag-- ing the edges of a sheet mounted thereon, means for rotating said rollers in a horizontal plane into said frames to drop a sheet supported by them onto said roll table, and an adjustable end guide for engaging the forward ends of the sheets.

7. A sheet piler comprising a base, a roll table mounted on said base for gravity operation, a. pair of rigid vertically disposed side frames mounted in parallel relation on said frames to engage the sides of a pile, a series of rollers mounted on spindles pivotally supported in alignment in each of said frames to engage the edges of a sheet mounted thereon, power means for rotating said spindles to roll said rollers in a horizontal plane into the sides of said side frames and out of engagement with a sheet mounted thereon, an adjustable end gate for engaging the ends of the sheets, and means operated by the sheets for operating said spindle-operating power means to automatically drop a sheet mounted on said rollers when in a preselected position on the piler.

8. in a sheet piling apparatus, a pair of parallel supports mounted in spaced relation, a series of rollers mounted in spaced alignment in said supports to engage the under surface of a sheet adjacent its lateral edges and convey it into po= sition for piling, means for engaging the forward end of the sheet and thereby determining the forward end of the pile, and means for rotat-= ing said rollers across thesurface of the sheet and out of engagement therewith, said latter till means being so arranged as to move said rollers in a direction tending to urge the forward end of the sheet against said end-engaging means as r they are moved out of engagement with the sheet.

9. A sheet piling apparatus comprising a pilesupporting platform, a pair of conveyor-supporting members mounted in spaced parallel relation above said platform, a series of rollers retractably mounted in said supporting members for conveying a sheet into position for piling over said platform, means for stopping a sheet in a selected position on said rollers, means for retracting said rollers to drop the sheet onto the supporting platform, means for guiding the sheet from the rollers to the platform with the forward end thereof in substantially vertical alignment with the preceding sheets, and means for mov-'- ing said latter means longitudinally of said platform without interfering with said rollers.

JOHN A. S S. 

